Realization of Double-pulse Laser Irradiating Scheme for Laser Ion Sources

Key words: 
• laser ion source /
• double pulse /
• highly charged ion

Abstract: A double-pulse laser irradiating scheme has been designed and established for the production of highly charged ion beams at Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences. The laser beam output by a Nd:YAG laser is split and combined by a double of beam splitters, between which the split laser beams are transmitted along different optical paths to get certain time delay between each other. With the help of a quarter-wave plate before the first splitter, the energy ratio between the two laser pulses can be adjusted between 3:8 to 8:3. To testify its feasibility, a preliminary experiment was carried out with the new-developed double-pulse irradiating scheme to produce highly charged carbon ions. Comparing the results with those got from the previous single-pulse irradiating scheme, the differences in the time structure and Charge State Distribution (CSD) of the ion pulse were observed, but its mechanisms and optimization require further studies.